Janto - Lost in Faraway Places
by whovianshere
Summary: Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones both attend the same high school and are good friends but there is a lot that they don't know about each other. The discoveries that they make bring them closer together and help them both through some very tough times. It seems like they never really knew each other before now and their new found closeness might've just saved Ianto's life. ****
1. Chapter 1

**Jack**

The bell rang just as Jack stepped through the school gates. _Just on time,_ Jack thought, relieved. Relaxed, he walked to his form room, smiling at people and responding to cheerful greetings of "Morning Jack" on the way. Nearly everyone was already there when Jack got to form, but he wasn't late so he strode in with a casual "Morning Sir, how are you?"

"Fine thank you Jack. How are you?"

"I'm wonderful Sir" Jack said with a grin. He crossed the classroom to the table with students from his year group, smiling at the younger kids on the way. They giggled nervously and hesitated before smiling back. Jack was the only one who ever acknowledged the other year groups in form, everybody else just huddled round there own table and kept to themselves. _Boring,_ Jack thought, sighing as he sat down next to Owen.

"Hey" Owen turned to face Jack, along with a few others on the table.

"Hey, how're you doing?" Jack replied.

"Yeah not bad, you?

"I'm good thanks" Jack said with a smile.

He turned and joined in easily with the rest of the group. Today, most of them were talking about the half term break, it was only a week or so away. Only a few people stayed out of this conversation; they were using the time to read or catch up on homework. Jack looked around the room. Roughly 25 people were there, 5 ish from each year group. They saw eachother at the start and end of every single day and yet they still stayed separate. Jack reminded himself that he couldn't do anything about it, it's just the way life works. People herd together to protect themselves from the uncertainty of new things. He pushed it from his mind, smiled and continued making plans, with his friends, for the half term.

The rest of the morning went quickly. Biology, Maths, break, Computing, English and now lunch. They stood outside; chatting, laughing and eating. Jack was the centre of conversation, as per usual, so he told some funny stories and sparked some good discussions that let him stand back while everyone talked around him. He watched the group as they spoke, noticing small things like who they looked at, who they spoke to, what they did when they weren't talking. Rhys was constantly watching Gwen, _Bless him,_ Jack thought, _he doesn't have a chance with her, but his obsession is pretty adorable._ Jack saw Gwen glance awkwardly at Rhys before taking control of the conversation. Toshiko was sat at the bench, going through her notes from Computing and sneaking peaks at Owen when she thought no one was looking. Jack moved onto Ianto. He was just stood there. He was staring blankly ahead, smiling when someone looked in his general direction and he only spoke when someone asked him a question. _Maybe he has something on his mind,_ Jack pondered. It seemed a bit odd, almost as if Ianto wasn't really there. Jack shrugged it off and took his place in the centre of the conversation.

The bell rang and the group headed off in the direction of PE; cutting through the corridors, joking and messing around on the way. The younger students inside scuttled out of their way, squishing into the walls - trying to be invisible. Jack frowned. He didn't think it was right that they should be afraid, there was only a few years age gap between them after all. Jack supposed that his group was quite intimidating; they were top of the school and some of them probably forgot how afraid they used to be. They were the loudest group of friends in their year, probably in the school too. Jack didn't like the word "popular" because it was a label and he didn't like labels, but that's probably how other people described them.

"You okay Jack?" It was Ianto, he was watching Jack expectantly. Jack wondered if he had been asked a question, he hoped not because he hadn't a clue what it could've been.

"Of course," He smiled, "Are you?"

"Always" Ianto smiled too, a half smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Jack chuckled and asked Ianto some questions about his weekend, while noticing that he was actually pretty hot. Jack often did this while talking to people, he liked to figure out why each person was attractive. Sometimes he'd pick his favourite aspect of that person, but not always. This time he did, though it was quite difficult; Ianto had a subtle sort of attractiveness and all of his features were handsome without being obtrusive. In the end, Jack decided that Ianto's nose was probably the cutest thing on his face, or maybe his eyes... Jack could get lost in those eyes if he wanted to.

 _Although maybe not right now,_ Jack thought, realising that he'd been staring intently at Ianto for longer than was socially acceptable. He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze forward, concentrating on the walk.

 **Ianto**

While in a world of his own - and not a very nice one - Ianto had noticed Jack's brow furrow. So to be polite, he had automatically checked that Jack was alright. Of course Jack was going to say yes, so the whole conversation was a bit pointless but at least he was talking to someone, meaning that people wouldn't get suspicious of his lack of interaction. _Not that anyone has noticed,_ Ianto thought dejectedly. To prevent himself from following that train of thought, Ianto jumped on a question Jack had asked and began rambling, hoping that he was talking sense.

"..and that's all I did on Sunday.. So, um.. Yeah" He finished lamely when Jack didn't acknowledge his response. Ianto walked uncomfortably in the silence, glancing from Jack to the floor and back again. Finally, Jack seemed to snap out of his reverie and realise that he was staring at Ianto. He coughed and looked away, Ianto breathed a sigh of relief.

Jack strode ahead confidently to catch up with Owen and Gwen, abandoning Ianto. He said something that Ianto couldn't hear and the group chuckled in unison. _Probably something to do with Gwen and Owen's not-so-subtle flirting,_ Ianto assumed. Everyone was joking and shouting and pushing and laughing; Ianto was left trailing behind, with no distractions. He was left to his own thoughts, which never worked out well...


	2. Chapter 2

**Jack**

The confined space of the boys changing room smelled like stale sweat and dirt. It was packed with about 30 rowdy teenagers, who at this moment were changing back into their school uniform after a rather severe hour of rugby. Jack joked along with the rest of them as he slipped out of his shorts and into his dark grey trousers. The noise dulled into a low murmur after a while, as the boys finished changing and headed out of the stuffy room to wait for the bell in the fresh air. Soon enough, there were only a handful of them left. Jack glanced around the room as he forced his kit back into his bag, Ianto was in a corner of the room and he seemed to be looking for something. Jack watched as Ianto searched frantically through his bags before spotting something on the floor. This must've been what he had lost because Ianto rushed to swoop down and grab it, catching sight of Jack on the way back up. He flicked his eyes away so fast that Jack wasn't sure if Ianto realised that he had been watching, but he heard Ianto curse under his breath. Jack gathered his bags and strolled past Ianto, patting him on the shoulder on his way out. "See you in form" He said casually.

"See you Jack" Was Ianto's monotonous response.

Jack walked outside and let the cool air wash over his face. He breathed it in slowly and then went to stand with his friends. The girls had left their changing rooms too, so there were quite a few people just milling about, but not for very long as the bell rang, signalling form time. Jack and with the rest of the crowd shuffled away, their numbers depleting as people separated to go to their different form rooms. Form time at the end of the day was only 10 minutes, basically just so that the school could make sure no one had disappeared during the last lesson.

They sat at their normal table in form and chatted while waiting for that final bell to ring. After about five minutes, Jack realised that he'd left his coat in the changing room. _How could I forget my coat?_ He asked himself in shock. Jack would just have to go and get it when the bell went. He noticed that Ianto still hadn't arrived, which was strange, because Ianto was never one to be late. Jack was sure that Ianto had been fully clothed when he left him in the changing room, so what's taking him so long?

"Are you walking home today Jack?" Owen asked. Him and Jack usually walked together, as their houses were in the same direction; Gwen and a few others normally walked that way too.

"Start without me," Jack answered "I left my coat in the changing room, I should be able to catch you guys up." He smiled and stood up. Jack only noticed that his concern for Ianto had been growing when the bell rang and he still hadn't turned up.

The rest of them left and Jack headed back across the school to the PE block, hoping that no one had taken his coat. He walked through the door to the changing room and saw, with relief, his coat. Jack smiled and walked over to grab it but stopped suddenly when he saw someone move in the corner of his eye; it was Ianto.


	3. Chapter 3

**Jack**

Ianto Jones was just where Jack had left him but now he was sat on the bench that ran along the wall. His bags were on hooks next to him and his legs were pulled up onto the bench. He didn't talk, or even acknowledge Jack, he just stared blankly at nothing in particular. Ianto's eyes were red and his cheeks wet. Jack started to ask Ianto if he was okay, but his voice felt oddly out of place, so instead he moved towards the bench and sat facing Ianto, about a metre away, crossing his legs on the bench infront of him.

Ianto didn't move; he looked so small, curled up in the corner. Jack had never seen Ianto any way other than calm and collected. He prayed that nothing had happened to him, but Ianto wouldn't be acting like this for no good reason, so Jack analysed him in detail, looking for something out of place that could explain Ianto's behaviour. They were at school so it's not like someone could've hurt him, _unless_ , Jack thought, _it was someone at the school._ Jack tried not to jump to conclusions just yet, after all, he couldn't see any sign that Ianto was hurt; physically, at least, he seemed fine.

His perfectly polished shoes were scuffed on the toes, but that could be easily explained. The dark grey trousers he wore looked the same as always, no problem there, but his always-ironed, crisp white shirt was tear stained and crumpled. Ianto's navy-blue tie was still knotted, but loose around his undone top button (Jack'd never seen that before). His left arm was wrapped tightly around his knees and the entire right side of Ianto's body was leant into the pale blue wall. Jack could just about see Ianto's right arm, his fist was clenched hard around something so tight that his knuckles were stretched white over the bone. Whatever it was, Jack could see it glint in the light when he turned his head. Jack's confusion was growing steadily as he continued to assess Ianto. Looking again at his hands, Jack noticed that Ianto's knuckles were scattered with small red cuts and it seemed like fresh bruises were just beginning to form; the blood rising to the surface creating a swollen appearance. Upon first glance, Ianto's face didn't show any emotion but Jack looked deeper into his supposedly lifeless features. His lips were slack, but not relaxed, almost as if Ianto couldn't find the energy to move them. However, his jaw was rigid, so Jack suspected that Ianto's teeth were clenched tight together. His cheeks were streaked with tears but Ianto was no longer crying and there were muscles twitching slightly near Ianto's temples. His eyes were red rimmed and tight, blazing with constantly changing feelings and emotions. They seemed sad at first, but as Jack watched, Ianto's eyes expressed anger, panic, hatred, intense pain, determination and indecision.

Ianto's perfect composure had been broken but Jack concluded that there seemed to be no danger. Ianto was obviously upset, distraught even, but he appeared safe. Jack released a breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Seeing Ianto like this hurt Jack more than it should, perhaps it was something about how contrasting it was to Ianto's usual balance and tranquility. Anyhow, Ianto was in pain and Jack needed to help him.

They had been sat there for at least 5 minutes now and Ianto hadn't moved an inch, or breathed a word. _This could take some time_ , Jack decided. He took his phone from his blazer pocket and typed two quick messages, keeping an eye on the unchanging Ianto. The first was to Owen and it read "I'm not going to catch you guys up, sorry I got distracted. See you tomorrow :)" The second was to his mum, "Hey mum, I might be late home, I'm with a friend, should be home for dinner though. Sorry, love you xx" Now he was ready to give his full attention to Ianto and help him if he could. He stared into Ianto's eyes, willing him to say something.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ianto**

Somewhere in the depths of his thoughts, Ianto was vaguely aware of Jack. He saw, through his clouded vision, Jack striding through the doorway, but Ianto didn't know how to react - he couldn't think. As though from a distance, he heard Jack's strong voice, asking a question. But what was the question? Ianto couldn't find his way back, he was too far away and now Jack was there and he couldn't remember how to respond; right now he couldn't even remember how to move. Without processing it, Ianto watched as Jack sat down and then as he took out his phone. Words and questions and feelings spun at dangerous speeds inside Ianto's head, threatening to burst out.

 _Stop._ Ianto needed to focus, he needed to remember what he was doing before Jack walked in, he was sure it was important. _STOP,_ Ianto shouted internally, briefly clearing his thoughts. The clarity lasted long enough for Ianto to feel a dull throbbing in his hands. He still hadn't come back fully, so the pain he felt was detached, like someone was describing their injuries to him, though he knew that it was his own pain. Still, it helped him to remember. His hands were hurting, at least one knuckle was broken, Ianto estimated, and there was something cold pressing against the palm of his right hand.

 _Of course._ Ianto remembered with a small, internal smile, he knew what he was going to do. The question now was: _Can I still do it if Jack's here? I'm sure he wouldn't care, though it might be considered rude. Is it rude? Yes, it probably wouldn't be fair to Jack. He needs to go._ Ianto felt a calm settle over himself, making decisions was the hard part. Now all he had to do was get rid of Jack, _it shouldn't be too hard. He'll get bored after a while and leave,_ Ianto suspected.

Even though he was now in total control of himself and was fully aware of his surroundings, Ianto did not move; he did not speak. Assuming that Jack would leave eventually if Ianto didn't talk to him, Ianto just sat curled into the cold wall, gripping tight to the object in his right hand.

Ianto was beginning to get uncomfortable, he almost wished that he could be numb again, detached. He was painfully aware of his right arm being squished into the wall and of his neck, aching and stiffening. _None of this matters!_ Ianto knew this and shoved the thoughts from his mind. There was only one thing that he needed to think about, one thing that would keep him still, so he thought about it. It was his only thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Jack**

He'd been watching Ianto for a few minutes now and had been hoping for some progress, but Jack saw nothing. _No, that's not quite true,_ Jack reminded himself - about a minute after he put his phone away, Jack thought Ianto might be coming around. He'd seen his lips twitch, just the tiniest amount, but it was enough to spark hope within Jack. Now though, he felt as if he had imagined it.

Jack had no idea what to do, he had never been in this kind of situation. He wasn't quite sure how aware Ianto was of his surroundings, he seemed too unresponsive to be fully appreciative of everything. Jack didn't want to startle him by making a noise; however, he knew he wasn't doing much good just sat there. So Jack spoke, as softly as he could while still making a sound. "Ianto?" He breathed. "Ianto, can you hear me?" Maybe Jack was just seeing what he wanted to, but he thought that he saw Ianto's eyes tighten. Other than that, there was no response. Jack tried again. "Ianto, tell me what's wrong, I might be able to help." And Jack kept trying. "Even if I can't help, a problem shared is a problem halved." He felt foolish but he didn't give up. "Speak to me Ianto, I'm here," Jack's voice stayed calm and quiet, but he couldn't tell if his words were even being heard. "I'm not going anywhere; I won't leave." At this, Ianto's nostrils flared and his eyes blazed. Jack was not imagining this, Ianto could definitely hear him.

Jack folded his hands in his lap and thought of more things to say. He tried lots of things, attempting to get another response. Jack asked questions, mostly "What's happened, Ianto?" or "What's wrong?" but he also threw in some more basic things like "What did you have for lunch?" and "Did you do that homework we had for Maths?". Nothing. Since flaring his nostrils, Ianto had remained silent and unmoving. Jack tried using humour; he would add a funny comment onto random statements, hoping to catch Ianto of guard. It had no effect and Jack moved on from that idea quickly.

It must've been about 10 minutes before Jack gave up. He'd spent the whole time prattling on and it was having no affect. He frowned to himself as he let the room fall silent. _Well what now?_ Jack was frustrated. He needed something to help him out, a clue, a prompt.. Something! How was he meant to help Ianto when all Jack could do was sit there and stare?

Ianto made no change, _Silence it is,_ Jack thought. There was something wrong with this quiet, it was restless. Silence was supposed to be calming and peaceful, _This certainly isn't either of those,_ Jack laughed to himself. _I need to try something new,_ He racked his brain and came up with a few possibilities. Jack stood up slowly and walked carefully to Ianto's corner, where he crouched on the floor so that he was looking up at Ianto.

 **Ianto**

For the most part, Ianto succeeded at focusing on the same thought; he let it branch out into plans and he decided the finer details that had needed sorting out. Ianto's plans were so thorough that he could almost see himself carrying it out. Of course, he had imagined it before but nothing like this. It was so vivid. However, there were some parts of Jack's little monologue that seeped into Ianto's thoughts and diverted his attention.

When Jack started speaking with the word "Ianto", Ianto had to suppress the urge to respond. He wanted to ask _What the hell are you saying my name for? And why are you whispering?_ but he didn't. Instead, Ianto clenched his jaw shut and tried to keep his focus. Despite his determination, Ianto was interrupted again.

It sounded like Jack was attempting to persuade Ianto to talk, to tell him what was wrong. "I might be able to help" he'd said. _Ha!_ Ianto thought, struggling with the itch to contradict Jack. _Good joke!_ he wanted to say, _You can't help me Jack, you shouldn't even want to help me.. Of course he doesn't want to, he's just saying it to be polite. Jack doesn't really want you to answer,_ Ianto could feel himself getting worked up again, _Calm down! You mustn't talk, or else Jack wont leave_. He took a deep breath but before Ianto had regained his focus he was disrupted again.

Jack was still trying to convince Ianto to talk to him, he promised not to leave. _LIES!_ , Ianto roared inside his head. _You all leave._ So now Jack was making things up and Ianto could feel himself loosing control, he felt his nostrils flare before he managed to pull himself together. _Ianto, you'll ruin everything! Calm down._ He slowed his breathing and returned to his planning.

For a good while Ianto was able to stay unreactive. He could hear Jack speaking and wittering on, sometimes he even listened, but he was calm now and had no desire to react.

All of a sudden Jack stood up. Janto almost glanced up in surprise, but caught himself just in time. He felt nearly excited; Jack was leaving! Ianto could carry out his plan. - Wait _No! What are you doing?!_ Ianto wanted to turn and yell at Jack and then shove him out of the room. Jack had gotten up and crouched next to Ianto! What the hell was he supposed to do now?! He managed not to respond to this other than a slight flicker of his eyes, which he used to glance at Jack's face. Jack's expression seemed to be one of pure concern; Ianto almost caught his breath in astonishment. He hadn't realised just how close Jack was, it made him a bit uncomfortable.


End file.
